Lowdermilk & Kerrigan Show Among 4 for ASCAP Workshop

The ASCAP Foundation has announced that four new musical works have been selected for presentation at its annual ASCAP Foundation / Disney Musical Theatre Workshop in New York.  The winning proposals were selected from 211 applicants.  The workshop kicks off today, at 7:00 p.M. Sharp, at The Rock Theatre at Roy Arias Studios and Theatres, 300 W. 43rd Street (btw. 8th and 9th Avenues), Room 500, 5th  Floor, New York, NY, and will continue on May 1, 22, 23 and 24, 2007.

The workshop is directed by Academy and Grammy Award-winning composer/lyricist, Stephen Schwartz, whose credits include the Broadway hits Wicked, Godspell, and Pippin, the Walt Disney films Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the Dreamworks' film The Prince of Egypt.  The selected musical theatre writers will have the opportunity to make short presentations from their original works-in-progress for professional  critique by a panel of the most prominent theatre producers, directors and composers, including Craig Carnelia, Thomas Cott, Mark Hollmann, Andrew Lippa, Dick Scanlan, Scott Schwartz and David Zippel.

All aspiring musical theatre writers, and those who submitted musicals for  the workshop, are encouraged to attend.  The workshop is free of charge and open to everyone, regardless of performing rights affiliation.  Admission is on a first come, first served basis.

The ASCAP Foundation/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop in New York is part of  an ongoing series of workshops sponsored by The ASCAP Foundation to nurture new American musicals.  For more information about the program, please call Michael Kerker at ASCAP at 212-621-6264.

The selected writers and their musical works are:

Laura Harrington (book and lyrics) and Jenny Giering (music): Out of the Blue "is a modern love story set in New York City.  Des and AJ are young, married and in love.  They are both dedicated public school teachers full of hopes and dreams.  Everything looks rosy until Des begins to collapse under the weight of her fears.  Splitting apart under the strain, Des and AJ struggle to find their way back to each other.  The  lessons they learn, through The Children they meet, will change them forever," state press notes.

Kait Kerrigan (book, lyrics) and Brian Lowdermilk (music): The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown - After the death of her best friend, all Samantha Brown wants to do is move on.  She is determined to forget the past and focus on her senior year of high school, which is fraught with questions: Should she have sex with her boyfriend?  What college is she going to go to? And, will she ever pass her driver's test Along the way, Sam begins to realize that maybe forgetting isn't the same thing as moving on after all.

Kirsten A. Guenther (book) and Ryan Scott Oliver (music and lyrics): Alive at Ten "is a dark musical comedy based on the Pamela Smart
teacher-student sex scandal of 1991.  Since she can remember, Kimberly 'Kimmie' Sharp has dreamed that she would become America's next beloved  media personality.  One problem: she's stuck in a dead-end job teaching at the local high school, and her discouraging, undermining husband would prefer she stay that way.  But Kimmie's not fazed; once she sets her mind  to something, you can bet her husband's life it will happen.  It's the story of a woman and her dream, and her sheer determination to make it come true at all costs.

Sean Hartley (book, music, lyrics): Snow "is set in the late 1960s Greenwich Village.  A young woman, Jenny, searches for her boyfriend, who has mysteriously disappeared after meeting a famous folk singer.  In her search, Jenny encounters many of the  archetypes of the rebellious sixties.  She is aided in her search by Raven, her boyfriend's best friend, who is coming to terms with his homosexuality. Through the search, both Jenny and Raven develop a stronger sense of  themselves and a new insight into the meaning of love.

Founded in 1975, The ASCAP Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their development through music education and talent development programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, grants, scholarships, awards, recognition and community outreach programs, and public service projects for senior composers and lyricists. The ASCAP Foundation is supported by contributions from ASCAP members and from music lovers throughout the United States. Visit www.ascapfoundation.org for more information.

Photo of Stephen Schwartz by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

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